Fish & Pain

[Crunchy]

A quote in another thread got me thinking about this....

mouth. Apparently most fish dont have much sense of pain in their mouth

I think I remember reading somewhere that fish don't have the mental capacity to "feel pain".

They feel a sensation, but can't interpret it as pain for say, more like "i feel pressure on my right gill". Now I feel more pressure in my right gill. Now I feel even more pressure in my right gill. Why am I being taken out of the water? Kind of deal.

I searched and I don't have anything to back this up, but I do remember reading it somewhere at sometime.

Anybody have a comment on this?

[FishingIsHealing]

I sure hope fish don't feel pain. But really they must feel it, or they would smash into things all the time.

They must have some capacity to feel touch.....Do they feel pain on a human level? probably not, but they do feel uncomfortable when we handle them and keep them out of the water.....

I think fish feel pain, but not like we do....But who knows?

I can't find many studies either........

[Mr.J.]

I read an article that put a lot into clear light for me

Most bait fish have sharp dorsal and pectoral (sure you spell it) fins and if the predator felt pain they wouldn't be able to eat them.

Think about it.

[valley_boy]

That was me that made that quote. I saw a fishn' canada show a few years ago where they had a fisheries biologist talking about it and doing demonstrations, so I assume it is true. It makes sense anyway.

[Crunchy]

But pain is an emotional reaction to a physical stimuli.

So your saying fish are emotional. Boo-hoo.

[Jasonb]

who cares... fish can't speak english to complain about it anyways... lol... when you shoot a deer... does it feel pain? or does it just instinctivly run away? might tasty tho

[Raminator]

it needs no explaination,other than fish are cold blooded ,therefore,they feel no pain,in comparison to warm blooded creatures,,yes,a deer feels pain like a human does.

[Bass Addict]

Does a fish feel pain ...........

[Mr.J.]

But pain is an emotional reaction to a physical stimuli.

So your saying fish are emotional. Boo-hoo.

Absolutely

And they have a heck of a twisted sense of humour as well

Just ask anyone who targets musky

They'll agree with me 100%

[Fishing 24/7]

no they dont .

[joco]

24/7..why are you sher.?

they sher can t tell you....


i sher hope they dont..but i might think they do sadly.....

i think its more that fisherman DONT WANT TO THINK SO....it wont be good for the fishing industry.

myself do think there is something..mabe not the same pain as us..but something.

lets face truely......fishing and hunting do hurt fish and animals..pure and simple.,,.

if you can see it..just dont do both off those sports.



http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn3673

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2983045.stm

http://www.gordellis.com/articles/other_03.htm

http://www.independent.co.uk/environmen ... 21136.html

http://www.fishinghurts.com/FishFeelPain.asp

http://network.bestfriends.org/friends_ ... /3917.html

http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/faq/pain.htm



MABE PEOPLE JUST DONT WANT TO NO THE TRUTH.



HAVE A QUESTION TO ALL............'' IF '' IT THOSE HURT LIKE HELL TO FISH..AND WOULD BE 100% WILL IT CHANGE SOMETHING ABOUT THE YOUR FISHING.???????

FOR SOME ..DONT CARE..LOOK AT TRAPING..THAT IS SOMETHING THAT DO HURT ANIMAL AND DO HAVE A LOAD OFF PAIN..LIKE WE DO.PURE AND SIMPLE.(I AM NOT AN ACTIVISTE)BUT DONT LIKE TRAPPING OR KILLING FOR FUN LIKE BOWHUNTING ETC..


WHAT ABOUT...What about lobsters and crabs? Do they feel pain when they're boiled or steamed? .... ..SUPOSELY NOT..I SHER HOPE NOT..OUTCH.


JOCO

[Jimmy_1]

who cares... fish can't speak english to complain about it anyways... lol... when you shoot a deer... does it feel pain? or does it just instinctivly run away? might tasty tho

Deer do indeed feel pain......I know firsthand.
A fish feels a stimuli of something worng and goes into a panic. But does it feel pain the same way a mamal does? Probably not.

Cold blooded animals are capable of feeling pain, but just differently. If you throw a rock at a snake, it will coil and strike. It'll also reel from pain, but it will not whine or grimace as a bird or mammal will.

I'm no vet, biologist etc. But I have seen deer and turkey get wounded on hunts (not by me)(Honestly). A deer or any anmal for that matter when shot will by virtue of nature wish to escape first. Unlike humans who program themselves to think they die when shot, animals prime objective is to survive to eat and mate another day. Once they feel they are away from the danger they will then concentrate on injuries/pain.

My first year hunting I had to put 7 shots into the vitals of the doe I shot. By all accounts she should have died on shot 1, but adrenaline and drive to survive kept her alive! Totally incredible as her lungs and heart were pudding when I gutted her.


my $0.02

[wolfe]

I believe fish feel pain -- they certainly have reduced blood vessels in their mouths compared to the soft tissue of a human mouth, for example, but I don't think they are without nerve endings and just dead to sensations.

Although I'll still use certain lures with trebles, I find myself choosing them less and less in favor of big, single hooks.

I guess if you're keeping the fish for the table, it's not really an issue. But when the goal is to release the fish, I thing trebles can kind of mangle a fish. Not always, but often enough that it's something to think about when considering lure choice.

With regard to the topic, it's something I've thought about, too, Crunchy, and I think it's a good question you've brought up.

W.

[HereMyGo]

Exactly,

I would say that their pain sensation doesn't rely so much on the fact that they are cold blooded, that's like saying snakes and lizards also don't feel pain.

The question would be whether or not they have nerve endings in the area where they are hooked, and also exactly what those nerve endings respond to.

We know that fish do have some form of sensations i.e. temperature control (fish lowering or raising their holding depth). I would say that fish definitely do feel something. Maybe once the hook pierces the flesh it is like having your skin pierced (think about it, I can pinch my ear lobe a lot harder than I can pinch my arm). At the same time I would think that there are very few nerve endings in the sides of the mouth where fish are typically hooked.

And the whole "fish don't feel pain" story is something that I think has been fabricated over the years by our elders, and passed on to kids to keep them interested in the sport, because kids are typically quite sympathetic to people/living things beeing hurt.

Just my opinion.

[wolfe]

And the whole "fish don't feel pain" story is something that I think has been fabricated over the years by our elders, and passed on to kids to keep them interested in the sport, because kids are typically quite sympathetic to people/living things beeing hurt.

BINGO.

Good point and one that was true in my growing-up years. My kids have asked me this same question which Crunchy has posed and we've talked about it openly. It's a good question and one that any empathetic person is going to at least briefly consider.

I tell my kids that although I am not "sure" (who can be, really, gimme a break??) I think that due to the way fish use their mouths to help capture and eat things like other fish with spines, crayfish, etc., there is probably a good chance their mouths are not exactly a hot bed of sensitivity.

But I still think it hurts when the hook penetrates at least some areas surrounding the mouth (i.e. the cheek, top of nostrils, or an area richer in blood vessels) and it can't possibly feel good as they are fighting against that hook site.

They're not people, they're not mammals, but they're not robots either. Hence my cringing at people who will scale a living fish. It's as easy to just bop 'em first, I'd think. Check them out quick as opposed to what might (possibly) be tortuous.

W.